5 Christmas One-Shots to Fill your Stockings With
by sweeety
Summary: To celebrate my nephew's 5fth birthday, here's 5 fluffy Christmas One-Shots so small you can use them as stocking fillers.
1. Those sleigh bells wriggling

"Just hear those sleigh bells wriggling, jingle-jingling too... it's such a lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you~" Paige crooned as she entered the bedroom she shared with her girlfriend. In each hand she held a mug of steaming hot chocolate and she had wedged the newspaper under her armpit. She paired a reindeer sweater with some knee high socks and the santa boxers she wore at Spencer's house for Toby's Christmas surprise. "Merry Christmas, Em!" she whispered as she snuggled up next to her girlfriend after depositing her stash of goodies onto the nightstand. Emily smiled in her sleep and cuddled into Paige. She breathed in the hot chocolate and Paige's minty toothpaste as she leaned in for a kiss. "Good morning, baby" she mumbled back as she opened her eyes for the first time that morning.

A giggle escaped her lips as she took in her girlfriend's outfit. The sweater was new, but the santa hat and shorts brought back good memories. She snuggled up to Paige, their legs interconnecting automatically. She closed her eyes, relishing in this moment of pure bliss as Paige pulled her impossibly close, and started running her fingers through her hair and up and down her back, almost massaging her, as she hummed Christmas tunes and read the newspaper. Every now and then Paige would react to the news with a sigh or a click of her tongue and Emily would nestle closer, reminding her that there was good in the world, and serving as an equalizer. Emily's father used to read the paper too. He would get very cross sometimes and throw it in the bin, then apologize and fish it out so he could read the cartoons with his Emmy.

He was working until the very last minute this Christmas. Normally Emily would be livid but this year Paige managed to keep her distracted. Between exams and shopping and ... well... other 'stuff', she managed to keep her heart from deflating with worry that her father might not make it to her in time. She was so SO precious to her. Emily opened her eyes and looked up at Paige. She was reading something confusing and her brows furrowed in that way Emily adored. She reached out with her hand and cupped her cheek, causing her to look down in confusion, and then reached up and stole a slow, lingering kiss.

It wasn't a long kiss or even a special one, but it still left Paige feeling lightheaded. Emily did that sometimes. She would do something so ordinary but put so much passion and love and affection in it that Paige, unable to react, would only stare in amazement, shaking her head, and smiling that big goofy smile Emily fell in love with.

They shared a secretive look that said everything before leaning in for another kiss. This one was faster and deeper and both girls completely lost track of time, with Paige sinking from her sitting position and Emily's hands, going from cupping her face to tangling in her hair as Paige used her own to help support Emily. They knew that while they had some time, they did have the odd obligation today and taking things too far would get them in trouble but they couldn't resist taking the chance to feel this closeness and share their love.

They both pulled back after a couple of minutes. Paige's cheeks were red and Emily was sweating. They looked at each other and smiled, like they had a secret, and Paige propped herself back up, much like Emily did, before passing her one of the cooled-off mugs of hot chocolate.

"We don't have to rush, it's still early, you have enough time to shower, but I don't think we can squeeze in another round." Paige began, rather diplomatically. Emily smirked. They both knew that if Paige challenged Emily enough they wouldn't make it out of the house today. Paige was still desperate to make a good impression with Emily's family so she couldn't afford to be making any mistakes. She had to be prompt and proper.

"I can always shower when we come back" Emily suggested, trying to rile Paige up. Paige gulped. She knew exactly what Emily was insinuating and she didn't like it one bit.

"And walk around the airport smelling like... What if your mom figures it out?" Paige said, panicking.

"She's not a greyhound, Paige, she's not gonna sniff me!" Emily laughed.

"Yeah, but still. You might... I dunno, set her motherly senses off." When Paige was flustered, something triggered Emily's dark side. She eyed that chocolate milk in her hands and wondered how long it'd take to clean off if she pounced on Paige right now. She figured she could have her way and clean up and still make it to the airport in time but something about the look in Paige's eyes made her hesitate. She wasn't just flustered, there was some real fear. Some pressure or stress. She couldn't put her finger on it but she knew that whatever was stressing her out was deeper than just potential embarrassment.

"Paige... what's wrong?" She asked the worried girl. While keen to protect Emily from the darkness of the world, she refused to lie to her any more so when faced with a direct question, Emily knew, Paige would never shield her from the truth. She was banking on Paige's honesty to get to the bottom of this problem and sure enough, with a sigh, Paige relented and opened up her heart to her.

"It's just, this Christmas is the first one without A, and I wanted it to be perfect for you. I don't want there to be any stress or drama for you. I just want you to enjoy every part of this. You've spent so long worrying and I just wanted to take care of everything for you so you don't have to. So you can be at peace. You deserve to have a break, Em."

"Paige, no matter what happens, I know my Christmas will be perfect because I'm spending it with the people I love. I get to be with you and my family and I've pencilled Spencer and the girls in for a Skype call later tonight. There's nothing more that I want."

"Except your dad"

"My dad is going to be here if he can, but even if he can't, I know he tried and that he loves me and that he's healthy and, honestly, that's enough."

Paige looked down in disappointment. She really didn't want to make things about her or remind her about her dad. She wanted to give Emily that picture perfect Christmas you see in Hallmark ads, where everyone's happy, together, and smiling. She arranged for everything to be perfect. For Emily to be so pampered that she wouldn't need to lift a finger. And now with her outburst she was forcing Emily to cajole her and comfort her and she was being an overall nuisance. She started to feel a little selfish but the voice inside her head -which grew more forgiving and comforting the more she was showered with Emily's love- told her to just forgive herself and let herself move on before she got stuck in a cycle of self loathing. She told herself to move her focus back on Emily and she smiled as she remembered all the great things that she had planned.

Leaning forward to reassure Paige with another kiss, Emily caught an eyeful of the clock on the nightstand. Paige had been right, time really was running out and soon she would barely be able to shower. They embraced for a moment before sitting back, facing eachother, half covered in a mess of blankets, and finished their chocolate milks while Paige finished the paper.

Then the strangest thing happened. Paige usually read Emily the funny bits, just like her dad did, but unfortunately today, Paige skipped right over them and rushed Emily to instead finish her drink and hop in the shower. She did a quick spot-clean of their apartment, dumping their mugs into the sink, fixing the bed up and finalizing a couple of arrangements when Emily walked in. She threw on a matching Christmas sweater and a pair of jeans, as Paige finished getting dressed and before too long, they were both out of the apartment and speeding to the airport to pick up Emily's mom.

Paige's parents insisted that while in California, the Fields family grace them with their presence in their home. Paige and Emily had packed their bags the night before. They picked up Pam from the airport, who had gone a full three months since she last hugged her daughter, and then, after a quick breakfast, Paige drove them all down to the family home. It was an expansive, two level mansion with a heated pool and outdoor kitchen area. Paige and Emily's parents would share the house while the girls themselves bunked in the poolhouse. There was enough room for a pull-out couch and a queen sized bed. The parents made it clear that Paige was to sleep in the pull-out couch or kiss her privacy privileges goodbye. The pool-house consisted of a large windowed wall, a small kitchenette, a luxurious bathroom with a walk in bathtub, and a small entertainment area with a ping pong table and a few arcade games.

They were afforded relative privacy due to their age but if they were caught sharing a bed, they would be forced to share one with their mothers instead for the rest of their visit, while their dads got to share the pool-house. The parents would not-so-subtly walk them to their pool-house at the end of the day and check in on them first thing in the morning to make sure Paige made and slept in the fold-out couch. Little did they know however that Paige and Emily were used to 4am jogging sessions which allowed Paige to leave the bed they shared a cool two hours before her mother made the rounds in the morning to get everyone up for breakfast.

It was Paige's body that was accustomed to waking up before the crack of dawn. Emily herself tended to sleep in a couple more hours if left alone. Paige had to gingerly extricate herself that first morning in order to leave for her morning run. Emily would not be roused for another hour or two, when Paige would sit down opposite her and start reading the newspaper. Only it wasn't Paige and it wasn't today's newspaper.

Emily glanced at the clock. 5:46 am. Shops didn't open until seven. Paige usually finished her run, came home, showered, did a bunch of homework and readied breakfast before waking Emily up with the news. She couldn't possibly have got the paper this early, AND showered, AND brought her breakfast in bed.

"Sorry, Emmy, store-bought is gonna have to do" said a deep, more gravelly voice as its owner placed a convenience store coffee on the nightstand, next to a blueberry muffin and yesterday's newspaper. She couldn't believe her ears so she rubbed her eyes, and quickly blinked away her sleep as she shot up in bed, eagerly facing the silhouette of the man who sat down on the edge of the bed, next to her. It was still dark, but thankfully, that's when Paige walked in, her hands full of matching convenience store bags, and with a smile, pulled the blinds apart a crack.

The dawn light weakly penetrated the room and lit up Emily's father's profile. Realization suddenly dawned on her as she lunged forward, tackling him into a bear hug. Overwhelmed with happiness, all she could do was cry onto his shoulder as he held her and whispered comforting words. Confused, she looked across to Paige, who smiled that goofy, loving smile and shrugged her shoulders. "Christmas miracle" she mouthed as Emily beckoned her closer and reached out, pulling Paige into the hug along with her and her father.

"What happened? I thought your furlough was cancelled?!" Emily rambled.

"It was delayed until some ridiculous hour into the night. I think they were trying to delay so long we'd have no choice but to stick around for Christmas. Paige was able to find a flight on a red-eye that dropped me off just outside California, and then she picked me up and brought me the rest of the way."

It was only then that Emily noticed how weary Paige appeared to be. Faint bags started appearing under her eyes and she felt really cold, her body too exhausted to regulate her temperature properly. She must have stayed up all night for her. Paige smiled sleepily and kissed Emily on the cheek. "How could I ever repay you?" Emily asked with her eyes. "You already have" answered Paige's half-smile. "Your smile is the greatest reward" Paige thought as she pulled Emily in for a brief hug, before extricating herself, taking a few floppy steps and dropping down onto the pullout couch, falling asleep the second her head touched the pillow.

Emily's dad took his daughter in. Her growth never ceased to amaze him. He used to be able to hold her in one hand when she was first born. They used to be able to bathe her in the sink. She used to be able to fit in his suitcase, and he'd had to check and make sure she didn't sneak inside them before leaving home for work. He smiled at her and she smiled back. Then he tucked her in and she sat back in bed as he reached over and grabbed yesterday's newspaper and started reading Emily the funny cartoons. Paige couldn't have heard them, she was fast asleep, but Emily swore she could see a smile on her face.


	2. Jingle Bell Rock

#2 Jingle Bell Rock

"Ok, just a little to the left... Not so far... a little more... Got it!"

Paige stood awkwardly in the hallway, trying desperately hard to avoid making eye contact with her former English teacher. Caleb and Toby were getting changed in Spencer's bedroom and Paige and Ezra were watching the hallway, trying to ensure none of the girls came up and ruined their surprise. Thanking her lucky stars, Ezra agreed it was a good idea to wear robes over their Santa boxers in case they were spotted ahead of time, and just disrobe when they were about to put on their show.

Toby had planned a little musical number like the one in mean girls. They were going to come down in a full Santa get up, wearing beards and everything and they were gonna do a funny dance and strip down to their boxers but with his broken leg (and with the impromptu inclusion of their former English teacher) the dance and the stripping portion were scrapped. So now Caleb had to help Toby quickly switch out of his normal pants and into his boxers -a task neither boy was too pleased about- before any of the girls caught on to their mysterious absence.

A few moments later, Paige heard a commotion coming from the stairs. Ezra quickly ushered her into the bedroom Toby was undressing in, and followed suit, shutting the door behind him. The boys took turns trying to guess which one of their girlfriends was walking past. Paige knew that Emily moved in a certain way. She closed her eyes and visualized it. The soft footfalls and fluid pattern of her motions. This was not her girlfriend. These steps were quicker... tiny little thuds... as if the person was trying to make up for the lack of ground they covered with their stride by increasing the rate in which they took them. Paige realized instantly that this must have been Aria walking around outside.

Aria didn't stay long. She just walked to the room she shared with Ezra, got her charger out of her bag and rejoined the rest of the girls in the living room. She thought it weird that Ezra wasn't in their room getting ready but just chalked it up to nerves in order to avoid visualizing her boyfriend of two years in the toilet with a stomach flu, which was the only other alternative she could imagine.

Meanwhile in Spencer's room, Toby was removing the shower cap he tried to cover himself with when Paige and Ezra abruptly entered the room, and Caleb started shimmying the Santa boxers up his cast. It was thick and the shorts kept getting stuck. He thanked his lucky stars that Toby wore satin underwear underneath, which helped his boxers slide up and over his more delicate areas with little to no prodding from Caleb. Paige and Ezra averted their eyes immediately so Toby had to clear his throat to signal that he was done, before Paige and Caleb could combine their forces to help Toby get to his feet.

One quick look in the mirror and the group, after acknowledging that this was the best they could offer at the moment, decided to bite the bullet and get this over with.

Ezra went ahead and made sure the hallway was clear, and at his signal Paige and Caleb heaved and hoisted Toby to his feet, ducked under his muscular arms and propped him up with their shoulders. They helped him down the hallway in perfect synchronicity and at the edge of the stairs, Ezra handed Toby his crutch and the bed-buddies got into position.

Paige led the charge, followed by Ezra and Caleb, and ultimately Toby, whose position enabled him to take fewer steps than the rest of them.

Almost as if prompted, the girls, who sat in a pile on the couch opposite the stairs -yet luckily had not yet noticed the bed-buddies, who snuck down as quietly as possible- one of the girls - Hanna?- asserted that Christmas is still Christmas, as long as they're together and Caleb, gleefully jumped in, and added "And we are... together".

That got everyone's attention and the mood suddenly shifted, the girls abandoned their formerly gloomy dispositions and laughed abundantly as they joined their lovers on the steps, and helped them down the remaining steps -along with Caleb, in Toby's case-, escorting them to the kitchen adjacent living room, where the evening's festivities began.

Hanna reached over the couch for her phone and hastily picked a classical Christmas medley. Aria wrapped Ezra in a blanket to warm him up as Emily and Paige slow danced to Hanna's Christmas tunes. Spencer helped Toby onto the couch and then cuddled up to him as Hanna pulled Caleb closer by his Santa shorts, smirking, as they started to dance.

Spencer and Toby laughed at Hanna's antics from the side. She'd decided the title of 'dance queen' was hers for the winning, and forced Caleb into increasingly more dangerous stunts. Paige curtailed her competitive side, too lost in Emily's arms to care about Hanna's imaginary competition, which Emily was thankful for, as she didn't want to be hoisted in the air right before lunch. She knew if Paige had somehow decided to compete with Hanna, all hell would break loose so she distracted her girlfriend by pulling her close and whispering sweet nothings in her ear that made her melt like putty in her hands. Paige was almost glad Hanna tripped because if Emily had gone on any longer she would have needed a change of pants.

Meanwhile Aria and Ezra were lost in their own little world, swing dancing to 'Jinglebell Rock' and having the time of their lives. After being denied the privilege for so long, Aria believed that dancing with Ezra would never get old. Spencer pulled a throw blanket around herself and Toby and they cuddled up until the oven indicated their breakfast was done. Spencer, Hanna and Emily went to work gathering jam, toasted bread, coffee mugs, butter and all the other trimmings, as everyone gathered around the Hastings table and started liberally spreading things on their morning toast or mixing coffees and teas for everyone. Emily's skills as a barista made her quite popular with the coffee drinking crowd. Spencer huffed at being overlooked but Toby assured her that if they were ever to man a mission to the moon and they needed jet fuel, she'd the one they'd come to for coffee.

Paige and Aria assisted with the coffee while Ezra and Spencer both tried to micro-manage the toast assembly line. Toby and Spencer spread the butter while Caleb and Ezra spread jam and Hanna served as the team mascot/waitress, slinging hot food and beverages around. They were rambunctious and convivial and just so homely that for a while, the girls forgot that their families weren't even around, because they felt right at home.

After breakfast the girls offered to wash the dishes while everybody else changed clothes. Paige insisted on helping, feeling guilty or being unable to do much because of the clothes, but Emily whispered that she'd let her make it up to her another time, quirking her brow, and sending shivers down Paige's spine. The poor girl turned the color of her boxer shorts before running up the stairs, taking them two at a time in her embarrassment.

She carefully folded her shorts and tank into a neat bundle, which she placed in the middle of the bed she was sharing with Emily. She had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time she wore them today.

The rest of the evening was idyllic. Everyone was in great spirits and their laughter filled the Hastings house with joy. This was the most joyful occasion ever celebrated in the Hastings house. Even the sour mood of the neighbor who creeped in their yard couldn't bring the overall spirit of the holiday down. The only thing that caused their soaring spirits to plummet down was the grim reminder placed in the backyard by their enemy.

Despite the best intentions of their lovers, the girls' collective moods, which once had surged through the house, filling it with warmth, now lay limp behind them, like the ghost of good times past. A succeeded where even Alison could not. A ruined Christmas.

The girls stared in shock at the startling display in Spencer's yard, pacing or standing still as the Fir itself, and getting steadily colder and more panicked. It would take more than a hot cocoa to warm them back up. One by one, the bed-buddies led their girlfriends inside the house, wordlessly signed their 'good night' to everyone else, and quietly ushered their lovers to their respective rooms, carefully closed the door behind them, and spent the night consoling them, wiping their tears and trying to soothe their howling souls. A task made even more difficult for Paige by the news she had to deliver to Emily earlier that day.


	3. White Christmas

**Part 3: White Christmas**

"Come on, honey, we're gonna be late!"

Paige finished putting her shoes on, took her phone off the charger and hopped into the backseat of her father's car. It was a short drive and thankfully there was very little traffic this close to Christmas which enabled the McCullers clan to arrive at the shelter just in time.

Paige and her family were eagerly greeted by the other volunteers. Feeding the poor during Christmas was one of their most valued traditions. It really brought the family together and helped them keep things in perspective for the rest of the year. Paige's leadership skills came in handy when organizing the younger volunteers, along with the minister's son, Sean, and while she basically ran the children's section, she did enjoy sneaking glances at the adults' section, where she'd catch her mother and father flirt as they washed dishes or filled people's bowls up with soup. It gave her a warm buzz to see them get along so well. She would never admit it but she looked forward to maybe having something like that one day.

This year the younger volunteers got to help set up the nativity display at the church. This wasn't just a huge honor and reward for their years of commitment but also a welcome break from the monotony of plating food and washing dishes and carting boxes of supplies around. Paige's yearly commitment did not go unnoticed and she was given the honor of organizing the event. It was a coveted position because whomsoever was in charge was able to handpick a team of volunteers and naturally the lucky people appointed their dearest friends and spent the day goofing around and having fun while everybody else worked actual taxing jobs.

Paige however didn't really have much in the way of friends. Her father was a deacon and she was generally appointed tasks that gave her authority over the other children and therefore she never really spent enough time with them to grow together, having spent most of her time mediating between the parents and other adults and their kids. Most of her time was spent racing back and forth through the church grounds and delegating tasks to her juniors -and sometimes seniors. She never really got to be one of the kids.

This year all was about to change however. Not because she was eased of her responsibilities, no, the nativity scene was the pride and joy of the church and it was the first and only thing some people saw of it, and it had to represent the entire church and it was a huge responsibility, especially for one so young, but her parents had faith in her. The thing that set today apart though was that the nativity scene being so important, it was the only task she was assigned for the day, until it finished, and that allowed her to take a more hands-on approach to her management style, which was something she'd dreamed of doing for quite a while.

So Paige found herself scouring through the list of volunteers, looking for the perfect partner to help her with the job. Bridget seemed unreliable -Paige was genuinely surprised she was even here-, her friend Pru didn't show up -strep throat, her parents said-, most of the guys messed around too much when they got together so she didn't want to ask any of them, the girls were pretty catty for the most part and clique-y and she knew that if she separated them she'd never hear the end of it, so that left... nobody.

Paige furrowed her brows as she went down the list once again. Those two were an item so there was no sense in picking either of them, and even worse to pick them both. This girl had behavioral problems. She remembered getting tackled a lot by her during field hockey. That one was the worst of them. This one had her head in the clouds and that one barely spoke. There was nobody here she could entrust with this, she realized, as she dejectedly sat down on a stack of crates.

She was about to set to work on her own when an elderly parishioner approached her.

"Could you bring this to the front please?" She asked, resting a booklet on her lap "It's an urgent task and I know you're the best at this sort of thing." She smiled as she pinched her cheek. "There's another lolly with your name on it when you get back" she winked as she pressed a coca cola flavored chuppa chup into the palm of Paige's hand.

Paige shook her head and jumped down from the crates. She figured she could use the distraction so she started walking to the front of the church as she flicked through the booklet's pages. She was so lost in thought she almost walked past the entrance to the church, and out onto the road, and would've kept on going had the priest not ushered her over to where he stood by this family she'd never seen before.

She handed him the booklet, and he handed it to the Fields family. It pertained all the important church events for the year, and even a list of common prayers they sung on Sundays and holly days. The priest introduced her to the Fields family -Wayne, Pamela and Emily- and informed her that not only were they joining their church, but being the days that it is, they wished to volunteer and it was up to her to get Emily acquainted.

Paige's mouth dried up. She started to panic. Emily was beautiful. The kind of girl that would never in a million years talk to her. The kind that gets a boyfriend immediately and spends all her time making out with him. Even at their ages, Paige knew that Emily was way out of her league in every way. And yet when she looked over at the other girl, she was met with a nervous smile and none of the cocky demeanor she expected from someone of her stature.

Paige shyly smiled back and looked away as Emily's smile widened, confused as to why she was pretending to like her so much. Emily for her part, thought Paige was the cutest girl she'd ever seen and really looked forward to making her laugh. Her parents had assured her that she was pretty and all that stuff but she'd never really stayed anywhere long enough to make friends, let alone become popular, so most of the time she was either teased or alienated for her 'exotic looks', which didn't quite sit well in places like Texas and all the other super conservative counties they'd lived in.

Rosewood was supposed to break the mold. Her father promised her that they'd live there at least until she finished High School and she took him at his word. She looked forward to making friends as soon as possible but it was practically impossible, considering they moved into town at the start of the Christmas vacation. All Emily wanted and wished for every night was to meet a cute girl and when she set eyes on Paige, it seemed like her prayers had been answered. So she couldn't help but smile at her like a fool every time she looked her way. Paige had no idea how much Emily had wanted her.

Paige led Emily through the church, pointing out all the sights. The steeple, the pews, the confession booth, etc. She then led her to the other side of the church, where the community center was attached, where all the volunteers were hard at work in the soup kitchen, feeding Rosewood's less fortunate. She introduced her to her own mother and father, who were plating up soup at the moment, and then headed to the loading bay, where some of the older kids worked and played, pausing for a brief moment when Mrs Baker slipped the promised lollipop into her fist.

She pocketed the candy and led Emily to the storage room where they kept the props they used for the nativity scene. She explained to Emily that being new, and not having gotten acquainted with everyone, she was going to let her work with her for the day, on building up the nativity scene. Emily had gotten a little flustered, having followed Paige to this empty, dark storage room where they were all alone. Her heart started to beat faster and faster and without even realizing what she was doing, she had puckered her lips and shut her eys.

*click* went the overhead light as the door slammed shut behind them and Emily opened her eyes to see Paige appraising the condition of the props and NOT putting her lips on her. To say she was disappointed was an understatement. But at the same time she was relieved that her first kiss didn't take place in a church storage room, with Jesus and the saints watching. That would've been slightly unnerving, she told herself, in order to soothe the frantic beating of her heart.

Paige fished out the wooden barn prop. She figured it'd be best to carry this out together since it was so heavy but at the same time she wanted to look strong to Emily. Something about the way the girl seemed to look up at her made her want to try to impress her so she tried to prop up the barn on her own, but accidentally stubbed her toe, sending the thing flying against the door.

The barn landed against the door with a thud, knocking the keys onto the floor. They needed to be in the lock, and twisted in order for the door to open, but unfortunately the barn prop knocked the lights off as well on its way to the door, and left Paige and Emily in complete darkness.

"Are you allright?" cried Emily.

"Yeah, I'm fine." replied Paige from the abyss.

The two girls followed each other's voices until they found themselves, and wrapped their arms around one another for security.

"Did you get the number of that donkey kart?" Paige joked. Emily laughed somewhere in the darkness. They were roughly the same height and her melodious laughter sounded close to Paige's ear. Paige tried to turn and face her in order to assure her that they'd be allright, but as Paige turned, so did Emily and their lips met somewhere in the middle of all that.

Stunning was the closest word they could think of using to describe this moment. A jolt of electricity rushed through them, burning their lips apart. Their eyes shot open in shock as their hearts raced furiously to a nonexistant finish line but before they could even register what happened -before they could react- they found themselves leaning in again, their eyes closing down, and their lips pressing together much more firmly this time. They met in the darkness a few more times, the tips of their noses delicately touching once or twice before they heard a set of footsteps stop just beyond the door and the door handle start to shake, sending them shooting apart.

"Is somebody in there?" Shouted a voice from outside.

"Y-yeah!" Mumbled a dizzied Paige.

"What are you doing in there?"

"Got stuck!" Paige cried out as she picked at her sweater.

The person on the other side of the door fiddled with some keys as Paige explained the parts of their story that were safe. The volunteer let Paige and Emily out and even helped them lift the barn out of the storage room and placed it on the place setting for them. The girls spent the rest of the day taking turns running to the storage room and back, fetching supplies until their work was done. And when they finished and switched the lights on, they just stood there, side by side, staring in awe at the thing they created.

There was a bench nearby where they could sit and look at their work. Emily splayed her hand open on the bench by her side and Paige slipped hers into her pocket when she sat down. Emily thought of it as a rejection and started to retract her hand but before even lifting it she felt Paige press something hard into it and looked down between them, confusion marring her face. Paige smiled as Emily surveyed the lollipop. Paige made a show of stripping the wrapper off her lollipop and sliding it in her mouth, making Emily blush and look away before mimicking her actions, removing the wrapper and shoving the lolly inside her own mouth.

They smiled at each other before looking back at the display as they shuffled ever so slightly towards one another. Emily made the first move, sliding her hand imperceptibly closer to Paige's. Paige flipped her hand onto its back and splayed it open, reaching out and caressing Emily's pinkie with her index finger and Emily -frustrated, and unable to handle any more teasing- slipped her fingers between Paige's awaiting fingers and curled them inwards, grabbing Paige's hand and lifting it up and dragging it into her pocket where they held hands until Emily's dad came to pick her up so they could leave.

Emily's parents drove her off while Paige still sat on that bench, waiting for her own mother and father to pick her up, watching the mesmerising scene they set down in front of her. She didn't see the Fields' car drive past, but even if she did she would have no way of knowing that the youngest of the Fields was wishing for the same thing inside that car.


	4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

**Chapter four**

 **Santa Claus Is Coming To Town**

"If you come out now, I promise, I'll never ground you and you can have all the candy you want, and I'll let you open all your Christmas presents early."

"Paige?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you trying to bribe the baby?"

"Maybe?"

"Well, you're not doing a very good job of it."

"Should I promise it a boat or something? Maybe say it can get whatever piercings it wants"

"Or maybe -and this is just a suggestion baby, but- maybe it doesn't understand what you're saying to it"

"Even better"

"How so?"

"I wont be held accountable"

Emily smirked up at her wife. It was half-way through Christmas day when, exhausted, Emily wandered off to take a nap in her old room. Paige was supposed to wake her up after half an hour so she wouldn't sleep through the entire day -something she was adamant about avoiding, unlike the Thanksgiving she mostly slept through- but instead she'd cuddled up next to her and started talking to the baby, promising it all kinds of things if it came out early.

"You know, I wouldn't be so keen for it to come out if I were you. It would take up all my time and my attention. We wouldn't get to just 'cuddle' like we do now" Emily mumbled sleepily, her eyes still firmly shut, as she pulled Paige down into her arms, and reached out and captured her lips on instinct.

"Change of plans, little buddy, stay as long as you want!" Paige whispered down at the belly before straightening up and sharing a series of progressively more passionate kisses with Emily.

"Is she up yet?" Pam asked from the hallway.

"Just five more minutes!" Emily called out.

"Hurry up, Emmy, everyone else has already opened up their presents and your uncle and aunty need to leave." her mom replied, guilting Emily and Paige into pulling apart.

"I'm on my way" Emily called out as she looked at a smirking Paige, sternly, narrowing her eyes.

"I told you to wake me up early!" She whinged.

"I know, but you were so tired that I figured another hour wouldn't hurt."

"But babe!"

"No butts! Now get your pretty butt up, we've gotta roll. If we don't make it to Spencer's barn within the hour she will personally make you a widow."

"Fine, but you're not off the hook. You're gonna pay for this" she threatened her with a smirk

"Can't wait" Paige smiled back, her big brown eyes shining with a mischievous glint.

Paige held out her hands for her wife to take, and helped her pull herself up into a sitting position. She came around the other side of her bed and pulled her slides onto her previously swollen feet. Emily wrapped her arms around Paige's shoulders and Paige helped heave her up and together, hand in hand, they descended the stairs of the Fields abode.

Emily sat down on the couch and Paige ducked under the tree and grabbed a couple of boxes. She handed them to Emily's cousins and Uncle and Aunt and received hugs and kisses in exchange from them. They then made the rounds over to Emily, saying goodbye and thanking her and wishing her the best of luck on their way out as Paige continued dispersing gifts among Emily's relatives. She had a santa hat on and Emily's younger cousins all adored her. Emily smiled gleefully at Paige's antics as her own parents looked down at her -her mom from her perch and her father from heaven- in content.

Last of all was Emily. Paige brought over a massive gift basket from her mom. This was for the baby apparently. It contained a diaper cake, some onesies and lots of unique little bibs. Paige had snuck a similar basket under the tree. Her diaper cake wasn't quite up to her mom's 'masterchef' level but it was still adorable, and her basket was slightly more personal. She had a photo-book with pictures of her as a baby, Emily as a baby, and loads of gaps in the middle for their soon-to-be-born baby.

Emily was overwhelmed by everyone's consideration. She started tearing up before she even got to the matching "Best moms" t-shirt and mug combos. She felt well and trully blessed in this moment. Paige leaned over and gave her a bear hug. Her mom joined in as well and eventually her whole family had more or less joined in. It made Emily laugh-cry more and ultimately gift-unwrapping had to be slightly delayed because of those touchy pregnancy hormones.

Eventually she settled down and got to work opening the rest of her presents. There was a foot massager, a foot spa, a new hair straightener she'd been eyeing but refused to buy at that ridiculous markup, a new cologne and an Armani changing bag. All in all it was an amazing haul that exceeded her expectations.

They waded through the snow over to the Hastings house, quickly greeted Spencer's relatives before making their way to the barn. Spencer, Aria and Hanna rushed Emily into a great big hug and spent the evening fawning over her and betting over the baby's gender, birth weight and date of birth.

All in all it was a beautiful night out. One of the best in Emily's life. She'd never been happier, she was sure. The only thing missing was her dad. Sometime around midnight she walked hand in hand with Paige back to their car. She sat in the passenger seat and would've fallen asleep on the drive home if it weren't for the excitement in the air keeping her up.

They'd pick their presents up from Emily's mom's place tomorrow. Tonight they wanted to go back to their place. Paige parked the car and ran around to the other side to let Emily out, both of them giggling like a pair of schoolkids. Emily would have been offended had Paige not made a habit of doing this even when Emily wasn't pregnant. It was part of the silly games they played.

Emily usually ran up first and opened the door for Paige but this time she was far too tired to even walk, having to essentially waddle her way up to their apartment. Paige anticipated this and offered a shoulder for Emily to lean on, and when refused, she took the lead, opening the door like a showman and presenting the living room to Em.

"What?"

"May I take your coat, M'damme?"

"Certainly" Emily smiled, adding 'dork' under her breath.

"Could you do me a favor and sit yourself down on the couch please? There's something I forgot to give you" Paige asked, batting her eyelashes together, entreating Emily, daring her to say no to this adorable face.

"Fine. You're lucky you're so cute when you beg." She mumbled as she sat down on the edge of the loveseat. Paige signalled her to close her eyes, which she did and waited, inquisitively quirking up her eyebrow when she heard the sound of wood scraping against the flooring.

"Okay, you can open them now" Paige said, posing exuberantly as she gestured towards the handcrafted wooden bassinet in front of her.

"You made this?" Emily asked, completely in awe of the beautiful craftsmanship. It was a luxurious swinging teak bassinet, complete with a hanging mobile composed of little hand-carved animals and flowers. It was so beautiful and so intricately sculpted and carved in the shape of a viking boat, held up by rope, complete with a little plush anchor and a set of decorative oars.

Overwhelmed, all Emily could do was stare in stunned silence. She signaled Paige over as she started to tear up, and Paige pulled her in her arms and cradled her close, whispering sweet words as Emily thanked her a thousand times. Paige explained that it's for their little swimmer. To carry them safely through the sea of life as they sleep, until they grow into their sea legs and learn to swim for themselves. Emily cried into her shoulder wondering how did she get this lucky. This really was the best Christmas ever.


	5. Winter Wonderland

Chapter five:

Winter Wonderland

There was something about Christmas this year. The snow fell in heaps all around Rosewood. Everything was covered in thick sheets of the stuff. Toby made a killing with his hired snow-plow, the daily snowfall ensuring he has work throughout the entire holiday, and as a special treat he hired Lucky Leon to cater his house for Christmas. The whole family was there and so were all their friends. Even Mona managed to make her way down to Rosewood for the holidays, presenting the kids with lavish presents and bringing a box of fancy Rosé for the party.

Emily and Paige were there early enough to park on the main driveway, -a fact Aria bemoaned when she had to siddle up the side of their jeep, holding a toddler in one arm and pumpkin pie in the other- but not so early that Spencer and Toby didn't have time to 'prepare' themselves for a long day with friends and family. Toby had barely zipped his pants up again before Paige started ringing their doorbell.

Spencer bounced downstairs and immediately took her goddaughter off of Emily's hands. Toby quickly fixed his hair before rushing to help Paige with the bags and as soon as everything was down on the kitchen island, everyone gave each-other warm hugs before the kids scattered away while the grown-ups popped open a bottle of wine while setting everything up.

Caleb arrived next. Hanna was picking up her mom and stepfather on her way. She still had to buy a couple of last minute gifts and needed the time and space away from Caleb so her gift could come as a surprise. Caleb brought the girls with him, and after showering everyone with cuddles, they too ran off to play with the other kids, and Toby's elderly cat, Mrs Marple.

Caleb, Toby and Paige got to work setting up the table and decorations. They giggled and joked about slimming down to fit into their old Santa boxers, most of them shamefully admitting that they already checked and that they do fit into them, and even went as far as to bring them with them just in case they ever needed them again.

All the while Spencer and Emily sat around the kitchen stirring salads and checking on the Christmas roast while cracking jokes about their loved ones, and how they're sure they spotted those infernal boxers in the luggage.

"I swear, half way through TSA, I was about to rip her bag open to check because I'm telling you, they were right there on the scan! When she said not to look at her bag, I figured it was because she stashed some presents in there, but not THAT!"

"Oh yeah? Well at least she didn't throw them in the washing machine a day before you packed, when it was full of whites!"

"He didn't!"

"He did! He is now the proud new owner of a half a dozen pink undershirts."

"Oh no!"

Hanna arrived a few minutes later with her mom. Her stepfather was sick but he sent his best wishes. Hanna was pregnant again and ready to pop. People were joking about her having a Christmas baby but she wanted to hold it in until the new year, hoping the baby's birthday wouldn't be upstaged by a massive holiday.

As soon as Hanna waddled in the house, she was bombarded by friendly hugs and cuddles. Emily rushed her to a seat and Caleb helped Ashley with the bags she carried. And finally, Aria arrived, dead last and sweating from the upturned heat inside her father's car. He'd dropped her and her mother off outside the house while he drove off to find parking down the street, so Aria could get the baby out of the cold as soon as possible.

Pam had arrived just before Aria and taken the last spot, and Spencer's parents called from England, where they were spending the holiday with Alex and Mary Drake this year. They sent their love and a formidable amount of presents, which were delayed by the stormy weather, and Melissa was fuming at being stuck in the airport with a three year old.

Everyone had gathered at Spencer and Toby's house in the woodland area surrounding Rosewood's main town. It was but a few moments out of the city but with the daily hubbub it was not a spot they often found themselves convening in. Emily and Paige would come out here to get away from the town life, and Caleb would sling a couple of beers with Toby every now and then, but Hanna and Aria were far too busy to make the trip and Spencer couldn't quite find the time either so everybody had really missed each other by this point in time.

Doris, the Christmas elf, sat on the bottom rung of the Christmas tree and surveyed the home. Pam and Ashley had helped themselves to drinks and joined the children in the sunroom. Aria, Hanna and Caleb squished onto one couch where Caleb held Aria's baby while she and Hanna caught up, Spencer leaned on Toby and asked him to lock the cat up before the kids agitate her and she ends up scratching somebody and Paige kissed Emily's temple before joining the cat and the kids and the moms in the room that overlooked the back of the house.

The pool had frozen solid and the deck was lost in the snow. Everywhere you looked outside you saw the stuff, from the fir trees that dotted the sides of the yard to the forest beginning at the far back of their yard and extending out past the Rosewood lake and swimming holes, and the snow covered the house with its white blanket too, to the point where you wouldn't be able to see it unless you were looking for it specifically.

The snowing had given way to a little sunlight on that day. While it was still incredibly cold, Paige knew this was their chance to mingle in the great outdoors before the snowing started again so she took the older kids out to the yard, along with Toby and Caleb, and they played all day while the ladies continued to drink and watch over the food inside.

Toby built a snowman while the girls made snow-angels, and Caleb and Paige started a snowball fight. Things escalated quickly and soon enough everyone was dodging snowballs. Paige sat down by a tree and watched the children play. Everything was great and all but she could tell that Emily was tensing. They hadn't had much time to themselves lately and she knew her wife was getting frustrated. She needed to touch her too and they needed some time alone, but with everybody there, it didn't seem like that was going to happen anytime soon.

She spotted Avery and Forest building themselves a little cabin however and all of a sudden she got a brilliant idea.

* * *

"Come on, it'll only be a couple of minutes!" She insisted.

"Where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise"

Paige led Emily down the back of Spencer and Toby's property, weaving through the first few rows of trees lining the back. They crossed past a small stream and turned left and there it was! A cozy little love nest, just for the two of them. Emily pulled Paige in for a kiss and they both smiled conspirationaly as they made their way inside the small igloo.

"We've got a huge sleeping bag, a torch and some snacks. And I snuck us some drinks from the kitchen."

"What about the kids?"

"Caleb's watching them."

"You thought of everything, huh?"

"I forgot to put my kinky Santa boxers on, but apart from that, yeah!"

Emily smiled as she leaned in for another kiss. Paige went to so much trouble to try and make her feel good, and right now was her opportunity to repay the favor. They stayed in a little extra, to the point where it was almost dark when they made their way back. From Toby and Spencer's place, the stars seemed to shine more bright and the two lovers couldn't help but steal a couple glances at them as they made their way back.

With gifts handed out, food eaten and everybody spent, it was finally time to go home for the night. Paige and Emily were last, since they got there first, and Paige went back to retrieve the things she borrowed off Toby before they left. Unfortunately, she tripped on a stump and did her ankle in on the way back. Emily wanted to rush her to the hospital but Paige insisted she was okay, so Pam took the kids in for the night, just in case their mothers changed their mind and had to go out overnight, and Emily drove Paige home and helped her over to the couch.

They lit the fire and exchanged the last of their gifts. Paige didn't slip into her boxers but Emily did. Paige's eyes nearly bulged out of her head when she saw her, and Emily took advantage of Paige's distraction in order to slide onto her lap and slip her another gift.

"Em? What is it?" Paige asked as she shook the box. There was no tell-tale rattling betraying its contents so Paige was stumped as to what it could be.

"Open it, and see" Emily urged as she nestled her head on her shoulder, looking up at her face so she could catch Paige's reaction.

Paige fumbled with the ribbon and slowly managed to slip it off the lid. She took a breath before yanking the lid off as if she were pulling a band-aid, and inquisitively stared down at the clear piece of paper left inside the box.

"Thanks. I'll umm.. cherish it?" she tried. Emily laughed before advising her to turn it over, and when she did, Paige's eyes immediately lit up and filled with tears.

"We're having another baby?"

"We're having another baby, baby"

Paige tried to lift Emily up and spin her around the living room despite what happened to her shoulder the last time she tried. That plan was quickly scrapped when she put weight on her ankle though. "Here" Emily said as she got up off the living room couch and pulled Paige up beside her.

She looked at her wife beaming at her, hopping around the coffee table on one leg, as she pulled her in for a hug and Emily felt so happy and proud that this was the woman that married her. They were both beaming as Paige put on a slow Christmas song and danced slowly with her in the middle of the living room, Emily and Paige both silently wondering how did they ever get so lucky.


End file.
